Taking A Chance
by Bookworm06
Summary: While taking a break from a difficult case, Sara reflects on her and Grissom's relationship.
1. Chapter 1

A/N I've had this idea for quite awhile, but have only now had the time to actually put pen to paper. It's a "how-they-got-together" fic, but told in a flashback as Sara takes a break. Both myself and my beta _Piccolina789_ weren't sure if this would work, but after working her magic once again, we ended up with this. Some dialogue has been taken from the show, and may pop up in a few chapters. I hope you enjoy my take on how they may have got together.

* * *

Late January 2007

Sara was sitting still and quiet in the small interrogation room. It was her strategy during frustrating interviews. If she started to feel angry, blood pumping through her veins, she took a quiet step back, letting her partner take control before she said something she regretted. Today, it was Catherine, who continued to pepper their suspect with questions as Sara stared straight ahead.

But eventually, it was too much. Frustration coursed through her and she realized that she had to leave the interrogation room before she jeopardized the case. With a shake of her head and an exasperated huff of annoyance, Sara pushed away from the table and left the interrogation room.

Catherine glanced at Sara from the corner of her eye. She'd known that this case would be tough on Sara.. Catherine felt a brief flicker of doubt in Grissom's steadfast faith in Sara's ability to see this through to the end.

Catherine pushed back from her chair and rose to her feet, following after Sara, who was pacing the corridor with an air of agitation.

"Take a deep breath, Sara, and _relax_ ," Catherine suggested, her tone filled with concern.

Sara shook her head as she continued her anxious pacing, her hands on her hips.

"He thinks this is all a joke!" she said, her voice rose slightly. "What he did to that family…"

Finally, Sara stopped pacing and shook her head as sudden, unexpected tears pricked her eyes.

"And he's going to pay for it, Sara," Catherine soothed calmly, placing a supportive hand on Sara's arm. "But first, you need to calm down and take a breath. It's getting close to the end of shift, anyway, but take a break, or take a walk and get some air. Let me handle this, okay?"

Sara turned to face Catherine, ready to argue the point, but Catherine jumped in first before she had chance to say a word.

"I told Grissom before he left that if I thought it was getting too much for you, I'd give you a break. And you're going to take it."

With a sigh, Sara nodded her head as she turned back to face Catherine. Truth be told, she really didn't have the energy to insist otherwise. Perhaps taking a step back from the interview wasn't such a bad idea. There were others ways she could still work the investigation.

Catherine let out the breath she'd been holding and patted Sara's arm.

"I'll keep you updated," she said as she headed back to the interrogation. "And remember, _relax_."

With another sigh, knowing that she had to calm down, Sara headed towards the break room. Adjusting her t-shirt, she headed for the kettle and reached for the decaf coffee Greg had brought in especially for her.

As she waited for the water to heat, she turned her attention to the large bouquet of roses standing in a makeshift vase in the sink. Despite the tension she was feeling, a small smile of delight played about her lips. Grissom told her once that he wasn't a heart and flowers type of guy…. but he'd changed, as they both had as their relationship flourished.

Since Grissom had left for a seminar in L.A. almost two weeks ago, he'd sent her a gift of some kind almost every day. They called each other twice a day, fitting it in around each other's schedule.

Due to the ongoing case, he'd been hesitant to accept the position at first. But with Sara's encouragement and further reassurances from Catherine, he'd agreed to go. Despite having encouraged his departure, she'd missed him all the same and was looking forward to his return at the end of the week.

Sara leaned forward slightly, closing her eyes briefly, as she lost herself in the heady scent of the roses, hanging fragrantly in the air. Her muscles relaxed as the tension slowly eased from her body and she allowed her mind to drift to the beginning of their relationship.

* * *

 _April 2005_

Sara dumped her gym bag unceremoniously on the breakfast bar. She'd thought going to the gym would help to quell the feelings of annoyance with Grissom. And, if she was being honest, with herself as well, for believing that this time, just maybe things were going to be different. With a heavy sigh, she ran a hand through her hair and gave herself a mental shake. It was never going to change. _He_ was never going to change.

It seemed that she was only worth a week of his time. One week, where he had shown her how things _could_ be if only...

Sara shook her head. He'd made his feelings quite clear on the matter of their relationship and she was tired of going round in circles. If any more evidence had been needed, his recent "date" with Sofia was all the proof she required.

And yet... though she'd stopped actively pursuing him, her feelings for him had not changed. They never would. It was painful learning to accept that there would never be anything between them. It was even more painful watching Grissom and Sofia grow closer as Sara tried so hard to keep her distance.

Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, she placed the car keys and cell phone next to her gym bag before heading towards her bedroom for a long hot shower.

As she stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her, she didn't hear the ringing cell phone.

So the missed call sat unseen as Sara stepped out from the shower, flurrying about the apartment putting in laundry and making toast to eat before she tried to get some sleep.

A knock at the door stopped her activity.

When she looked through the spyhole, her heart skipped a beat to see Grissom standing on her doorstep. She debated with herself on whether she should open the door when he knocked again, a little more insistent this time. She could think of no reason why Grissom would be at her door, unless it was work-related.

She opened the door in time to see the look of relief briefly cross his face, before he schooled his features into a mask of indifference. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of the brown jacket he wore.

His hesitant smile of greeting faltered slightly, as he became aware that something wasn't quite right. Sara was hesitant and they stood silently looking at each other before she opened the door wider for him to enter.

Grissom closed the door behind himself, but didn't venture any further into the apartment. Instead, he stood inches from the front door, hands still in his pockets.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low as he watched her carefully. She was standing with her back to him, her arms folded across her chest.

"I'm fine," Sara replied quickly. It was a lie, and Grissom immediately saw through it. He tilted his head slightly as he silently studied her. Before he could think of a response, she turned to face him.

"Why are you here, Grissom?"

He was silent for moment, trying to figure what had happened since her hasty exit from the lab earlier that morning. He decided on part of the truth.

"I tried calling your cell. I was… concerned… when you didn't answer," he explained.

"I went to the gym," she partially explained, moving over to the breakfast bar, her arms still folded across her chest. "As you can see I'm fine."

Grissom stepped away from the door, taking his hands out of his jacket pockets, and stepped a little closer to Sara. He was at a loss as to why she seemed distant. Unable to think of anything to say, he remained silent, opting instead to watch her thoughtfully.

The silence was unnerving to Sara, and she felt the need to fill it.

"I heard about your date with Sofia."

"It wasn't a date, Sara," Grissom explained quietly, a slight frown marring his features. "It was just dinner with a friend. Since when have you paid any attention to lab gossip?"

Sara bristled.

"I overheard her talking to Greg about it. From the way she was talking, she was eager to repeat the experience."

Unable to hold his gaze, she glanced away, turning her back on him as she folded her arms.

"I hope she's worth the risk, Grissom," she said coldly.

 _Unlike me_ , she thought silently.

"It was just dinner with a friend, Sara," Grissom repeated. "There was no risk involved. I don't know why you…"

"I was there, in the observation deck, when you spoke to Dr. Lurie," Sara stated, cutting in.

She regretted it as soon as she'd said it. She hadn't meant to reveal to him that she'd overheard him talking to Dr Lurie. Now, it had been said in the heat of the moment and there was no taking it back. The sudden silence was deafening.

Sara turned to face Grissom, still standing by the breakfast bar, his hands back in the pockets of his brown jacket, a deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face. He blinked slowly, once, then a second time. Sara could almost see his mind working as he processed what she'd said.

As the silence continued to stretch out between them, Sara expected him to do what he always did - turn and flee, without a word.

Instead, he held his ground, pulling his hands from his pockets and pressing his fingertips together in a nervous gesture. He licked his dry lips and glanced at her, their eyes meeting for an instant before he looked away.

He sighed as he came to the realization that in order to fix this, he'd have to be completely open and honest with her. That was hard for him. But where Sara was concerned, he'd made a mess of things as usual and he owed it to her to be honest. It was becoming clear that the inroads he'd thought he'd made to their stalled relationship over the last week hadn't gotten him very far.

He dug up all the courage he could muster and he held her gaze as he took a deep breath.

"What you overheard, Sara… was _regret_. Regret that I couldn't take the chance he did."

Grissom paused, not used to speaking so openly about his feelings, especially towards her. He'd never had a problem talking to anyone else, but when it came to Sara, his words and his actions seemed to get lost somewhere in translation. And more often than not, he'd inadvertently end up hurting her. And, he regretfully admitted if only to himself, there had been times when he'd done it deliberately.

Sara, surprised at his admission, waited in silence, refusing to let him off the hook like she normally would. She sensed that an important conversation was coming. Whether it would end well or not remained to be seen.

Grissom swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, as he hesitantly continued. He knew that if she stopped him as she so often did, he would lose his nerve. There had already been too many second chances. Tonight was the night to clear the air.

"Until our chat in my office a few weeks back, I-I-I thought…"

Grissom trailed off. He was unable to hold her gaze and glanced down at his hands, fingertips still pressed nervously together.

She'd come to his office believing that she may have helped influence Ecklie's decision to split up the team. The discussion had taken on a more personal tone that had made him uncomfortable and at a loss for words. He'd thought he'd missed his chance with her after turning down her dinner invitation. When he realized that hadn't been the case, he'd hesitated too long to find the nerve to ask her out to dinner and she'd left his office, with a quiet reminder to document the brief meeting for Ecklie.

"It scares the hell out of me, how you make me feel," he blurted suddenly, daring to look her directly in the eyes again. "I feel like I'm fifteen again and I'm speechless. I've screwed up every relationship I've ever had. The way I've screwed up our friendship is proof of that. I'm not a hearts and flowers kind of guy, Sara. I'm an old fool with not much to offer."

Sara took a hesitant step forward as he spoke. Her lips pursed in a knowing smirk.

"You're not old, Grissom," she responded, reading between the lines. "Just _older_. And grey hair can be very attractive."

She just managed to master the urge to touch his greying curls.

"I don't need 'hearts and flowers'," Sara continued after a brief pause. "I just want you. Faults and all. Besides, there are other ways for romance."

"I still don't know what to do about this," he admitted quietly, gesturing between them with his thumb. "I miss what we had, working together, the closeness. I'd like to get it back, hopefully more… if its not too late?"

Sara shook her head, a teasing smile on her face.

"I'd like that too," she said, suddenly feeling shy. "But all this pushing and pulling is confusing. If we do this, there's no backing off and changing your mind. And I can't just forget the last year or so. If we do this, we take things slow… take some time to rebuild what we've lost."

"I won't back off," Grissom said. "And we'll go as slow as you want."

"Will you let me in and not shut me out?"

"Yes," he answered seriously, his tone surprising Sara with its sincerity. "Whatever it takes to prove to you, I'm serious about this… about us."

"Okay," Sara agreed, unsuccessfully stifling a yawn.

Grissom glanced at his watch, silently berating himself for keeping her up so long after shift.

"Get some sleep and I'll see you tonight," he said, turning towards the front door of the apartment as Sara followed him.

She opened the door and he paused to face her. After a brief hesitation, he boldly pulled her into an awkward hug and kissed her hair.

"Pleasant dreams, honey," he said before releasing her, leaving her apartment building and heading for his car.

* * *

Sara wasn't expecting too much from Grissom when she stepped into CSI Headquarters at the start of shift later that night.

She had lain awake for hours after he'd left, replaying their conversation over and over in her mind, wondering if she'd somehow dreamed the whole thing up, until sleep had finally overtaken her. She'd slept fitfully for the next few hours and had awoken with the same surreal feeling.

She was just heading out of the locker room when the object of her thoughts leaned against the doorjamb, his hands in his trouser pockets, looking like he was in no particular hurry to be anywhere.

"Hi!" he greeted pleasantly, a rare grin flashing across his face at the sight of her, with none of the awkwardness she might have expected. At least that was a start.

"Hi," she acquiesced with a slow grin of her own. She wondered if she should pinch herself to see if she was still dreaming.

Grissom was about to say something when his cell phone rang. As Grissom straightened up, Sara just had time to catch the flash of irritation in his eyes before he answered his phone with a curt, "Grissom!"

He listened briefly to the person on the other end for a minute before telling them to wait. He lowered the phone and cast an apologetic look Sara's way.

"I have to take this, but I'll catch up with you later, okay?" he said, his tone switching from apologetic to hopeful.

Caught off guard, Sara could only nod. His grin returned and his eyes swept over her from head to toe, finally settling on her ponytail.

"You look nice, by the way," he said as he turned towards his office, bringing the phone back up to his ear.

Sara stood glued in place. _Had he just said what she'd thought he'd said?_ This time, she did pinch herself. It hurt. She'd certainly not expected Grissom to soften quite so quickly. She had to give him credit, she thought ruefully as a playful smile played about her lips. She'd give him 100% for effort.

But as she neared the break room, she couldn't stop small seeds of doubt from planting in her mind. What if Grissom changed his mind? It wouldn't have been the first time.

She tried to push her doubts aside, but her feelings seemed validated when Grissom returned to the break room some fifteen minutes later with Sofia following a step behind him. With barely a glance in her direction, Sofia hovering close by, Grissom handed out assignments, pairing himself with Sofia and Sara with Greg.

Sara wanted to say something to Grissom, but Greg was on her heels, nearly bouncing with excitement to get going. So she turned and slowly left.

Grissom watched them leave the break room together, Greg also far too enthusiastic at being paired with Sara, as they argued over who would drive. The brief glance Sara had cast his way as she'd left the break room didn't go unnoticed.

With barely a glance at Sofia, Grissom left the break room.

"I'll meet you at the car," he called over his shoulder, heading towards his office.

* * *

As they made their way to the Denali, Sara's cell phone buzzed, notifying her she'd received a text message. It was from Grissom. She'd hoped that he would pair her with him and had been disappointed when he hadn't. Quickly reading his text, she couldn't help the quick smile that brightened her face and she quickly typed back a reply before stuffing the phone back in her jeans pocket.

With more of a spring in her step, Sara loaded the SUV with hers and Greg's kits, as Greg loaded the other equipment they'd need. Sara's returning good humor wasn't lost on him.

"And here I was thinking I was the only guy here that could make you smile. If I was the jealous type..."

Sara's mouth turned up into a smirk.

"What makes you think it was a guy?" she asked as they finished loading up. Sara headed towards the drivers side and climbed in.

"You're telling me it wasn't?" Greg questioned as he climbed in on the opposite side. "With a smile like that, it couldn't be anyone else but a guy."

"It was just a friend," Sara replied truthfully as she drove towards the exit and headed towards their crime scene. "A really good friend, who've I've not seen in a while."

Greg mulled over her words in silence, knowing that would be as much as Sara would be willing to divulge. If whomever this "friend" was made her smile, he wasn't going to complain. Sara had had so little to smile about lately. He just wished it could be because of him. But he'd learned to accept his place in her life. It was no secret, he'd had a crush on Sara for years and although she didn't feel the same away about him, a mutual friendship had grown between them. He'd rather have her in his life as a friend, than not have her in his life at all. And that was enough for him.

* * *

Much later at the end of shift, Sara sat alone at a table in the diner Grissom had suggested. She glanced at her watch, hardly believing that only five more minutes had passed since she'd last checked. She was sure she had the right place. The diner was not one neither she nor the rest of the team had tried before, which was likely the reason why he suggested this place in the first place.

With a sigh, Sara took a sip of her coffee, wondering if she'd have been better off going to the gym like she'd said she was going to when the guys had invited her to breakfast. Putting her cup down, she turned to look out the window, deciding that she'd wait only another five minutes before she'd leave.

She felt his presence even before she looked up towards the entrance, her heart rate increased slightly and her stomach flipped nervously, as she saw him scan the almost empty diner. She smiled when he finally saw her, the worried look on his face fading as he hurried to her table.

"Sorry I'm late, honey," Grissom said as he neared her table, kissing the top of her head before sitting down. "I'd have been here sooner, but it took longer than I anticipated to wrap up the case. Then I had to avoid Ecklie and some meeting…"

He trailed off, shaking his head slightly, as Sara shook her head with a smile.

"What did Ecklie want?"

"No idea. I told him I was following a lead and had to go," Grissom replied with a shrug.

The waitress returned to the table to refill Sara's cup. She offered Grissom one before asking if they were ready to order. Both Grissom and Sara shook their heads and the waitress promised to return in a few minutes. As she left, they pursued the menu, sitting in a comfortable silence.

The silence continued as the food arrived and they ate. Finally, taking a sip of her coffee, Sara broke the silence first.

"Can I ask you something?" Sara asked quietly. "And will you answer honestly?"

"Sure," Grissom answered, pushing his empty plate back and taking a sip of his coffee.

"What's all this about, Grissom?" Sara wanted to know. "Does this anything to do with what I've told you about my mother? Why now?"

"No, it doesn't," Grissom replied honestly and without any hesitation.

Sara nodded, satisfied at the sincerity of his answer.

"It's something I've been giving a lot of thought to, Sara. Contrary to what you may think, you're not completely to blame for how complicated things have been."

Grissom paused, still not used to being so open with her.

"At times, what I think and feel don't always match up," he said with a frown of concentration, unsure if he was about to ruin everything.

"It doesn't help one bit that I find you intimidating at times," he quietly admitted, his eyes locking with hers briefly before looking down.

Sara's mouth dropped open, stunned.

"Excuse me?" she asked, still not sure if she had heard him correctly. "How exactly am I intimidating?"

Grissom focused on his hands, clasped around his coffee cup, feeling uncomfortable and wondering how the hell he was going to get himself out of this one. Unexpectedly, words came to him.

"Some men find beauty intimidating, Sara. They feel they may not measure up to her expectations."

Following his line of thought, Sara easily recalled the occasions when he'd said she was beautiful and it suddenly all made sense.

"And you feared rejection, is that it?" she asked in a gentle tone as her hands naturally brushed against his.

Grissom nodded, looking up again. She was smiling that smile that he knew was only for him and it gave him courage.

"Or I'll mess up somehow. That with time, you'd eventually come to realize I'm too old for you after all."

Sara's fingers brushed over his once more as she waited patiently for him to look at her.

"Do you really think that would happen, Grissom?" she asked softly. He hesitated and Sara thought he wasn't going to answer her.

Reluctantly, he nodded, his eyes fixed on their now joined hands.

"Well, that would moot everything I've said to you. Me moving to Vegas because you asked me to stay, wouldn't it? Or that you've always meant more to me than just my boss."

She paused, letting her words sink in. He was being honest with her. It was only fair she be the same with him.

"Would it interest you to know that I'm scared too, Grissom?" she asked and she smiled at his startled look. "It runs both ways. I haven't the greatest track record in relationships, either. I know this is going to be complicated. But if we both put the time in, we can make it work."

"You make it sound so simple," he stated. "For this to work and continue working together, we can never be seen outside of work together. We can't even hint that there's anything between us."

"Well, that will never be a problem," Sara smirked, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "The only times we're seen together outside of work are the times we have breakfast with the whole team. And you've not accepted an invite for a while. Besides, there are places out of town we could go…"

Sara stopped when Grissom shook his head, a look of wonder on his face.

"You've thought this through, haven't you?"

She graced him with a full Sidle smile and his heart beat a bit faster. _God, he loved this woman so much._

"Yeah, I have," Sara admitted, suddenly feeling very shy. "We're professionals and nothing much has to really change at work. We can always work out the finer details later."

Shortly afterwards, as the diner became busier, Grissom paid for their breakfasts, insisting it was his treat. As he walked her to her car, he linked his arm through hers as they continued to talk.

"Maybe we could do this again?" he asked as they stopped by her car and pulled her into a hug, the awkwardness between them gone.

"I'd like that," Sara agreed, feeling the race of his heart through the brown jacket he wore and wondering if he could feel hers, racing just as fast through her thin jacket.

He kissed the top of her head, tightening his arms around her happily, just as his cell rang.

"Grissom," he answered without looking at the caller I.D, at the same time tightening his embrace around Sara as she attempted to move back.

"The lead took longer than I thought, Conrad," Grissom said as Sara tried not to listen in to Grissom's one-sided conversation. "I'm just grabbing some breakfast and I'll be back in twenty minutes."

With an exasperated sigh, Grissom ended the call. Turning his attention back to Sara, he hesitated briefly before deciding to take the leap and kiss her on the cheek.

"I'll see you tonight," he said. He tightened his embrace slightly before releasing her and heading for his own car.

Sara watched after him, a sudden despondency falling over her now she was no longer in his arms. The sound of his horn brought her from her musings and he waved as he drove past her and headed back to CSI.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N Thank you so much for the reviews. I am so glad that you're enjoying the flashback idea and that (hopefully) it dosent get too confusing. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Many thanks again, to my beta Piccolina789, who has worked her magic on this story to help make it what it is. This really couldn't have been done without your help. Some dialogue taken from the show._

* * *

Grissom and Sara continued to spend time together outside of work. When Grissom had nervously asked her out on their first official date in their blossoming relationship, Sara realized that he had taken her words to heart, taking determined steps to prove that his intentions for a more personal relationship were genuine.

On the afternoon of a rare day off together, Grissom had taken her to the Natural History Museum, his fingers laced through hers the entire time they were there. When they paused to read the inscriptions on the exhibits, he'd drawn her closer to him, his arm comfortably wrapped around her waist. Afterward, they'd headed to a near-by coffee shop, where they talked on a range of topics.

Their date ended with dinner at a restaurant out of town.

Their work relationship continued to improve as they worked cases together. The companionship and easiness of the past returned almost without effort. Sometimes Sara worked alone or was paired with Greg or Sofia, but she didn't mind. Her time with Grissom in private was all the more special because of it.

They'd had several more dates since that trip to the Natural History Museum, which included trips to the Arts Museum and Red Rock Canyon. Although Sara enjoyed their time together the majority of the time, the doubts that he would change his mind and this was all too good to be true still niggled in the back of her mind.

But Grissom continued to surprise her, one night inviting her to dinner at his townhouse, even though only he had the night off.

She'd only been to his townhouse on a few occasions. When he opened the door, it was exactly as she remembered it. His walls were adorned with framed specimens of butterflies and various bugs.

The delicious smell of cooking permeated the air. Her stomach grumbled hungrily in anticipation.

"Can I help with anything?" she asked, following him into the kitchen after he'd kissed her cheek in greeting.

He was wearing the blue button-down shirt she loved, because it brought out the deep blue of his eyes, and black trousers.

"Everything seems to be under control," he said over his shoulder with a smile. "Although there's a bottle of wine in the fridge, if you want to do the honors? The glasses are in that cupboard on the left."

He turned back to the pans simmering on the stove and Sara walked towards the fridge. She paused as her eye caught a glimpse of the photograph wedged above a photo of a roller coaster, both held in place by a caterpillar magnet.

A smirk curled the edges of her mouth and she took the photo down.

"I can't believe you still have this!" she said, turning to look at him, her brown eyes sparkling with delight.

Grissom turned, wiping his hands on a dishtowel, pleased that he'd managed to surprise her again.

He stood behind her, embracing her from behind, one hand gently resting on her stomach as the other touched the faded photograph of them both, taken seven years before. They were both much younger then, he'd still had color in his hair, the title of shift supervisor at CSI still two years in the future.

The Golden Gate Bridge was behind them and he had his arm around Sara's shoulder. Her hair had been much longer then.

"Of course I kept it," Grissom said, his warm breath caressing Sara's ear as he spoke. "It was our last day together at the Forensic Academy Conference."

His voice became wistful as he continued to stare at the photo.

"From your first question, I was off balance… and I had to think on my feet for the first time in quite awhile," he admitted quietly.

He was silent for a few minutes, lost in his thoughts.

 _It had been an ordinary start to the conference, as he'd prepared for his second lecture of the day. He'd learned it by heart, so by the time the Q & A session had started, he'd not been prepared for Sara's insightful questions. He'd found himself drawn to her. By the end of the lecture, he'd silently named her his Star Pupil._

 _Later, when the other students had left, she'd hung back asking more questions, which he'd been more than happy to answer. Her intelligence and quick, inquisitive mind had intrigued him during the Q & A, and when she stood right in front of him, asking more questions, he'd felt an instant attraction to her. That had surprised him. He knew she'd felt it too. He surprised himself even further when he'd asked her for coffee. She'd smiled her acceptance, with the smile he'd come to learn that she reserved just for him._

 _As well as attending the conference as a lecturer, he'd also attended some of the seminars. As he was taking his seat for one afternoon session, he felt her presence in the crowded room even before he saw her. She'd smiled at him, delighted to see at least one familiar face. He couldn't help the slow returning smile as he indicated the empty seat next to him._

 _They'd spent the rest of the conference together, attending various seminars together. Afterwards, they'd talked for hours as they walked through the streets of San Francisco. They'd headed to Golden Gate Park, where Sara had persuaded a passer-by to take their picture, and she'd pulled him close, a huge smile on her face as he placed an arm around her shoulder._

 _At the end of the week, she'd taken him to the airport and he'd felt a despondency he'd never expected as the time drew closer for him to leave. As his flight was called, he'd given her both his work and personal cell phone numbers and his email address, promising to keep in touch. He'd not been surprised when she too pressed a piece of paper into his hand. At the last second, before she pulled away, he'd grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. His gaze held hers, a slow grin on his face as he'd shouldered his carry on and headed towards his terminal. He'd promised to both himself and to her that he would return to visit her whenever he could._

 _As clichéd as it sounded, he truly_ had _left his heart in San Francisco that day, and every subsequent visit after, until she moved to Vegas._

"I remember you had a ponytail," he whispered softly, his thoughts returning to the present.

Sara turned around in his arms to face him, a teasing smile turning the corners of her mouth upwards and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Grissom smiled back, his hand reaching up to tuck a stray stand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear. Her body reacted to his touch and a pleasant shiver rippled through her body.

His hand still rested on her cheek and Sara swallowed nervously, becoming aware of a shift between them. Grissom felt it too. It was as though the very air was charged with the electricity of their attraction.

Sara's pulse quickened and she licked her lips nervously, Grissom staring at her intensely. His eyes moved from hers to her mouth and back to her eyes. She held her breath in anticipation. He dipped his head slightly to hers, but as a timer buzzed, the moment was gone.

He released her reluctantly, heading to the stove and quickly turning off the nobs and the oven, before opening the door and pulling out some crusty bread.

With a sigh at the lost moment, wondering if she should be the brave one and kiss _him_ , Sara grabbed the glasses and the bottle of wine and headed to the table, where Grissom had lit two candles.

She poured the wine, noticing that it was non-alcoholic, and set his glass down just as he brought over their plates.

"It's vegetarian spaghetti bolognese," he explained as he headed back for the basket of warm crusty beard. "It's made with green lentils instead of meat. I did an internet search for something to make…"

Sara was taken by his thoughtfulness and the trouble he'd gone to. She took a tentative bite and her mouth watered.

"It's delicious!" she said, noticing he was watching her.

Grissom raised an eyebrow as he tucked into his own pasta.

"You sound surprised that I can cook," he said, raising a forkful to his mouth.

Sara's eyes sparkled as she swallowed her bite.

"I'm not, actually," she said, raising another forkful to her mouth. "I'm sure there's no end to your hidden talents. Unlike me, who cooks with take out on speed dial."

"My mother taught me," Grissom admitted. "I could teach you, if you'd like. I'm sure I could tweak the recipes I know for a vegetarian version."

"Thanks, but I think I'm a lost cause when it comes to improving my culinary skills."

"Since when have you backed down from a challenge?" he asked with a quirk of his right eyebrow. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Okay, but I warn you, it's a disaster in the making," Sara said, still sounding dubious, making Grissom chuckle softly.

Later, Grissom walked her to her car. After an embrace that felt far too short for his liking, his arms feeling bereft at her absence, he kissed her on the cheek as usual. Sara had a hard time resisting the urge to turn her head and kiss him right on the lips.

As she pulled out of his drive, Sara sighed, realizing that in a way, it was perhaps her own fault. She'd said she wanted to take things slow and he was only taking her at her word. She just hadn't meant _this_ slow. But things were going well, and she didn't want to spoil them by being too forward and scaring him off.

* * *

Their relationship continued over the following few weeks. Occasionally, they had breakfast with the team, but with increasing frequency, they had breakfast either at Sara's place or at Grissom's.

Sara hadn't been in her apartment very long after a run, when she heard an unexpected knock at the door. She took a second to compose herself and try and calm the racing of her heart that only partially had to do with the exercise.

The attack on her by Adam Trent had left her far more shaken than she wanted to admit to herself, let alone her friends. She'd showered at the lab, before heading home and quickly changing into her running clothes. She'd thought she could outrun the panic and helplessness she had felt. But how could you outrun what was inside you? The memories of what Adam had said and did to her echoed in her mind with every step she took.

The knock came again, insistently, and Sara hesitated.

"Sara?" Grissom's muffled voice came from the other side of the door, the concern in his voice unmistakable.

Releasing the breath she'd not realized she was holding, Sara finally managed to open the door, before quickly turning from Grissom as he stepped into the apartment.

"Are you okay?" he asked, following after her a step or two. "I was worried when you didn't answer your cell."

"You don't need to worry about me," Sara said too brightly as she headed towards the kitchen. "I just went for a run, I'm fine."

As she reached for a glass and turned on the tap, her hand trembled and she suddenly burst into frightened tears.

Grissom was at her side in an instant, taking the glass from her and turning off the tap, at the same time embracing her tightly to him.

"It's okay, sweetheart," he soothed as she clung to him tightly. He rocked them both gently as he rubbed her back comfortingly.

"It's okay," he whispered, kissing her hair, wondering why _her_ tears should make _his_ vision watery.

"It all happened so fast," she said, her voice muffled by his jacket as he continued to soothe her. "Even when he was locking the door, I kept expecting you or a nurse... someone... to walk past and see what was happening."

Grissom continued to embrace her, resting his cheek against her hair.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I should never have left you alone," he whispered, tightening his arms around her a little more.

When he'd seen through the window what was happening, he'd froze, helpless to do anything to help her. His mouth went dry as his heart raced in panic for her safety, knowing that right then, her terror far outweighed his own.

While Adam had been distracted by Nurse McKay, Sara had managed to free herself from Adam's choke hold, just as the door was unlocked. More concerned for Sara, Grissom had ignored the chaos in the nurses' station. He'd breathed a huge sigh of relief for the both of them as he slowly walked to the end of the hallway, where Sara stood by the barred window. He had moved slowly, because he was fighting the very real desire to just embrace her there and then and never let her go, and to hell with the consequences.

Sara's sobs against his chest eased and she pulled back slightly out of Grissom's embrace.

He swallowed nervously, his eyes searching her face as his thumb caressed her cheek, wiping away the tears that still trailed down her cheeks. She leaned into his caress slightly, her eyes closing briefly. Her breath hitched and her lips parted slightly.

Her eyes searched his face before dropping to his mouth, then moving back to his eyes, the implication very clear.

Neither of them was certain who made the first move as Grissom's lips brushed hesitantly against Sara's. His lips were warm and soft. After a brief hesitation, Sara returned his caress, the kiss slowly growing in confidence.

After a minute or two, they broke apart, both of them slightly breathless, their faces slightly flushed.

"Well, that confirms it," Sara said softly.

"What does?"

"I always knew we'd be a perfect fit," she said, kissing him again, eager to feel her mouth on his again.

Grissom was more than happy to oblige as he pulled her tighter against his body. They kissed slowly, as they worked their way to a deeper kiss, their eyes closing in pure bliss. As their tongues entwined, Sara's hand rested on the back of his head.

The sound of Grissom's cell phone broke the moment. Grissom groaned with annoyance as he drew back reluctantly, both of them breathing rapidly.

"Grissom," he barked into the phone, barely managing to calm his ragged breathing.

Sara started to draw back from his embrace, but his free arm held her tightly in place, and when she relaxed back into his chest, his hold loosened, marginally.

"Catherine, I spoke to Sara before I sent her home and she said she was fine. Wasn't too happy about the night off, but under the circumstances, I thought it was best. She threatened to come in, but if she does, send her home."

He looked pointedly at Sara as he finished his call with Catherine. This time, Sara did pull back. This was news to her.

"So, when did you plan on telling me this?" Sara frowned.

"I just did," he said, reaching for her. She resisted slightly, before relenting and stepping in his arms again. He kissed her hair.

"Have you had breakfast?" he asked suddenly. She shook her head. "Why don't you have a relaxing soak in the tub, and I'll make us breakfast? It'll help you relax, so you can sleep."

Sara smiled against his chest. She felt truly safe for the first time in hours, in the safe cocoon of his arms. She tightened her arms around him, listening to the racing of his heart against her ear.

"Sara?" he asked, wondering if he'd perhaps said the wrong thing.

But she lifted her head from his chest and pecked him lightly on the mouth.

"Sounds like a plan," she replied with a smile.

But she made no effort to move out of his embrace, already feeling far too comfortable where she was. Grissom was only too happy to stand there and hold her a little longer, but eventually, she leaned in to give him a parting kiss. It was only meant to be a quick one, but it quickly turned into something more, and it was ten minutes before Sara headed towards her bedroom and a relaxing soak.

After a quick breakfast of apple cinnamon pancakes and fresh orange juice, and making quick work of the dishes, weariness was starting to catch up with them both.

"You should get some rest, " Grissom said, picking up his jacket off the sofa. "I'll come back tonight… if that's okay?"

"Can you stay?" Sara asked, suddenly not wanting to be alone, surprising both herself and Grissom by her request.

"At least until I can sleep?" she added, thinking of the night she'd asked him that very same thing, when she'd finally told him about the night her mother killed her father.

He'd stayed until Ecklie's numerous calls had demanded he return to the lab. He'd promised to return as soon as he could and he had. She'd asked him to stay with her until she fell asleep. When she awoke, she'd been alone, and although she felt disappointed, she'd not been surprised. That was, until she'd found him stretched out, dead to the world on her sofa.

Grissom nodded and put his jacket back on the sofa. Sara didn't feel any nervousness as she led them to her bedroom. Once she was settled, Grissom toed off his shoes and stretched out next to her, on top of the covers. Once he was settled, she snuggled up next to him with a sigh of contentment.

"Thank you," Sara whispered, playing with the buttons of his shirt. "For… staying."

His hand covered hers, stilling her restless fingers on his buttons.

"Sweetheart, you don't need to thank me. I'm not going anywhere." He gave her a one-armed hug. "Now get some rest. "

* * *

Sara frowned in her sleep as the voices all mingled into one, her head moving restlessly on the pillow. She instinctively moved closer to Grissom, the voices of her dream silencing as she grew restful. Grissom continued to sleep soundly beside her, instinctively drawing her closer to his body. The book he'd been reading as Sara fell asleep rested on his chest, rising and falling in rhythm with his breathing, his reading glasses rested on the tip of his nose.

But Grissom's soothing presence wasn't enough to silence Adam Trent's voice, as his words once more began to haunt Sara's dreams. Her heart rate increased as she felt the very real pressure of the shiv against her throat, the fear and panic as real to her in her nightmare as it had been in reality. Her hair became damp and clung to her face as sweat beaded on her skin. Her body twitched as she re-enacted her struggle with Adam.

Finally, she bolted upright in the bed with a strangled cry that woke Grissom with a start.

Grissom squeezed her shoulder soothingly, feeling the tremble that coursed through her body, before he drew her close to him in a tight embrace, rubbing her back in soothing circles as he spoke softly to her.

"I'm here, honey. It's okay," he soothed gently, rocking her back and forth until finally the trembling began to subside.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, looking ashamed as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

Gently, Grissom reached out and lifted her chin until she looked at him tentatively.

"Sweetheart, you don't need to be sorry about anything," he said, tucking another errant stand of hair behind her ear. "A bad dream is a natural reaction to a traumatic experience. It's the mind's way of trying to make sense of events. I'd be more concerned if this hadn't happened and you kept it bottled up."

He drew her to him, giving her a reassuring squeeze. He glanced at his watch; it was just after 5:30 p.m.

He kissed the top of her head, making a quick decision.

"Come on," he said, releasing his hold on her and scooting off the bed to find his shoes he'd kicked off earlier. "A change of scenery will do you some good, maybe help take your mind off things. You'll need something warm for later."

He turned to face her, leaning over the bed and kissing her quickly on the forehead.

"Can you be ready in ten minutes?"

* * *

After leaving her apartment, Grissom and Sara headed back to his townhouse, where Grissom showered and changed; grabbing a few things they'd need for later that night. Whenever Sara asked what he'd had planned for their spur of the moment date, Grissom changed the subject.

Once he had everything ready, he grabbed her hand, leading her back to his car, driving them both in the direction of the Belagio Hotel and Casino.

After leaving the car with the valet, Grissom took her hand in his as they headed to the front of the hotel. He led her through the lobby and then turned right and headed towards the conservatory, joining the throng heading in the same direction.

They soon lost track of time, slowly meandering their way around the gardens, enjoying the colourful, vibrant displays of the flowers, plants, shrubs and trees.

Sara stood in front of one display that caught her eye. It was a 26-foot-tall red and white striped lighthouse, with high-flying colourful kites and over-sized sunflowers. In another was an aviary with fifty live finches inside and three larger-than-life, colourful birds in flight hanging above it. Pink and yellow flowers surrounded both sides of the aviary, two tall shrubs standing guard at its entrance.

After finding a place to eat, Grissom led them back to the car, refusing to reveal the secret of their next destination. Grissom was determined to distract Sara from her nightmare and Sara had to admit, she was relishing this time with him.

They left the glitz and lights of Vegas behind them as Grissom drove them towards the desert. They travelled in companionable silence and once the bright lights of the strip were far behind them, Grissom turned to her with a crooked smile and took her hand in his, refusing to let go.

They drove six or seven miles out into the desert until Grissom found the perfect spot. As darkness descended over the desert, Grissom set up the telescope he'd collected from home and stretched out a blanket. The jagged outline of a mountain range pierced the darkening sky in the distance.

A meteor shower lit up the sky and Sara watched, fascinated. Grissom's smile was knowing and Sara realized that this had been the reason he'd brought her there.

They were packing everything up as the first rays of the early morning sunrise began to tinge the distant sky pink.

Sara paused as a colony of bats fluttered overheard, heading home to roost, and the sun's rays edged the tip of the mountain in a liquid fire.

"It's beautiful," she whispered as she continued to watch the sun rise a little higher.

"Yeah, it is," Grissom agreed, but when Sara turned to face him, he wasn't looking at the mountains, but at her.

His hand was at her waist, drawing her closer. His head dipped, capturing her mouth with his own. he put his arms around her, drawing her closer to his body. He straightened up slightly, making Sara stand on tiptoe briefly before he set her on her feet again.

As the kiss deepened, Sara's hand came to rest on the back of his head, a soft moan of pleasure escaping her throat before she could suppress it.

The sun continued to rise, banishing the shadows as they continued to kiss on the outcrop of rock, this time uninterrupted by ringing cell phones.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Once again, many many thanks for the wonderful reviews. I'm glad that this flashback idea has turned out to not to be as confusing as both I, and my beta _Piccolina789_ initially that at first. I hope you enjoy this chapter, as much as (if not more) as the previous chapters .

* * *

Over the next two weeks, they made up for lost kissing time, as Sara called it. She quickly learned that she really didn't give a damn about beard burn.

They knew they were heading into dangerous waters when they'd forgotten themselves at a crime scene. They'd both been gathering their kits and materials when Grissom had brushed against her. Sara had turned to face him with a teasing smile on her face, their faces only inches apart. They'd moved as one, drawn to one another. Grissom had placed his palm on her cheek, drawing her closer as the kiss deepened, before both pulled back, panting heavily. Grissom had looked around wide-eyed, checking to see if anyone had seen. Luckily, it had looked as if they'd gotten away with it, this time. But both agreed that they'd have to be much more careful – at work, at least.

Sara and Grissom were now enjoying some alone time at Sara's apartment.

"I should go," Grissom said, kissing her passionately as her hands raked though his curls.

Sara pulled back a few moments later, a knowing smile on her face.

"That's what you said fifteen minutes ago."

"You're over-talking again, dear," Grissom mumbled, silencing her with another passionate onslaught. Once he started, he just couldn't seem to stop.

They'd spent a lot of time in each other's homes, although Sara spent most of the time at Grissom's townhouse.

Tonight, however, they'd had dinner and a movie at Sara's apartment. Although once they were settled on the sofa, the movie had been largely forgotten.

"I really should go," Grissom said, drawing back and breaking the kiss when the need to breathe became a necessity.

"You could stay," Sara responded as he opened the door and turned to kiss her goodbye, her face still flushed and her lips swollen from the make out session.

"Soon, sweetheart," he replied, managing to catch the look of disappointment in her brown eyes before it was gone.

His stomach flipped nervously at her disappointment. This wasn't the first time she'd asked him to stay, nor was it the first time he'd refused. Not knowing how to put his fears into words, he kissed her goodbye lightly on the cheek before heading towards his car.

Once at his car, Grissom's head flooded with doubts. As he debated with himself whether or not he should go back, he glanced up at Sara's apartment window. It was already dark. He shook his head slightly, disgusted with himself and his hesitation, and for allowing his reservations to get the better of him.

It wasn't that he didn't want to make love to her. Every time they were together, his body reacted to her proximity and it would take all his self-control not to give in. The reality was, despite Sara's insistence that their age gap made no difference to her, he was still fifteen years her senior. She was young and beautiful, while he… he was middle-aged with a body that wasn't as trim as it used to be in his youthful days. Would the stark reality be enough to change her mind? Would it drive her into the arms of another man, a man closer to her own age? Would he be enough for her?

He'd had a few relationships in the past, but they had been with women closer to his own age, so it hadn't been a concern. But with Sara, it was very different. Until he'd met her, he'd never truly been in love with anyone. From the moment he'd met her, she'd had the power to bring him to his knees, if she'd so choose. She'd gotten under his skin in ways he hadn't allowed other women to. He'd been in love with her from the moment they'd met and that had scared the hell out of him.

He sighed, glancing at her darkened window again, hoping he'd not messed things up over his performance anxiety and doubts. Sara was everything to him, and he wanted their first time to be special – for her.

He got into his car, thinking of ways he could make it up to Sara, when sudden inspiration hit, and a smile brightened his face for the first time since leaving her apartment. By the time he'd arrived home, he had a plan in mind.

* * *

Working separate cases that led to working double shifts, hindered any plans that Grissom had for him and Sara. They barely had time to acknowledge the other before rushing off to their respective crime scenes to chase yet another lead or follow-up on lab results.

A break in Grissom's case afforded him enough time to track Sara to her crime scene, and under the guise of taking a break and surprising her with lunch, he managed to grab some precious moments with her.

Sara had been the first to start apologizing, thinking it was something she said that made Grissom leave so quickly the other night. He gently silenced her before offering his own typical Grissom apology.

It didn't take long for Sara to fully grasp what he was trying to say. After checking the coast was clear first, she wrapped her arms around him reassuringly, pressing a kiss to his cheek before quickly releasing him.

With the air cleared between them and their shift finally over, they headed back to Grissom's townhouse. After a quick breakfast, they fell into an exhausted sleep on the bed, still fully clothed wrapped in each other's arms.

It had only been a couple days since Nick's terrifying ordeal, when they had come so close to losing him. The one good thing that came from the whole thing was the team being reunited. Being able to work together again provided the normalcy they all needed.

It was close to midnight on Saturday, four days after Nick's kidnapping, and Grissom was driving Sara back to his townhouse after dining in a newly opened restaurant and seeing a show.

Grissom glanced quickly at Sara from the corner of his eye as he drove. He'd hardly been able to take his eyes off her all evening. When he'd picked her up from her apartment for their date, the purple cocktail dress she was wearing blew his breath away. She was breathtaking. Her hair was tied up, with a few strands allowed to hang loose to frame her face, and she wore only a little make-up. She'd completed the look with a small gold circle necklace and a small gold purse.

The whole look almost made Grissom cancel his plans there and then. She'd smiled shyly at him and twirled around, asking if she looked okay.

"Breathtaking," he'd barely managed to say before kissing her cheek and leading her to his car. Anything more and he'd really have to cancel his plans.

Once at the townhouse, Sara took off her heels and once the door was firmly closed behind them, unable to resist any longer, Grissom pulled her close against his body and kissed her hungrily.

When they broke apart, they were both breathless, their faces flushed, eyes bright, happy smiles on their faces.

"How about a nightcap?" he asked, rising an eyebrow. He took off his tuxedo jacket and placed it on the chair, pulling off his bow tie and loosening the top button of his shirt on his way to the kitchen.

Sara wandered over to the living room, putting on the stereo. Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" began to play and as Sara turned the volume down low for background noise, she spotted the chess game they were in the middle of playing. She paused, thinking of her next move, feeling Grissom's eyes watching her, and the corners of mouth lifted upwards. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her all night. She moved her chess piece before returning to the kitchen, where Grissom handed her a glass of wine.

Smiling her thanks, she took a sip, leaning against the counter next to him.

She placed the glass on the counter and turned to face him.

"I really enjoyed tonight, Gil," she whispered, her hands running up the front of his shirt. She could feel his heart racing frantically.

He placed his own glass on the counter next to hers. Shifting slightly to accommodate her, he pulled her a little closer. He brought both hands up to cup her face, his thumbs brushing tenderly across her cheeks.

"I treasure every moment with you," he whispered, his gaze not leaving hers. "No one else has ever made me feel like you do. So alive… I feel like I'm twenty again."

He paused, his fingers caressing her cheek, trailing over her lips.

"Thank you for not giving up on me."

Sara's eyes closed briefly as she leaned into his caress, her breath catching slightly. She opened her eyes and stepped closer to him, her hands moving up his chest to rest lightly on his shoulders.

"I almost did," she said in a voice just barely audible.

He sighed contentedly and tightened his arms around her as he dipped his head.

"I'm a very lucky man," he muttered as he kissed her softly.

They kissed slowly at first, savoring the moment. A moan of pleasure rumbled from Grissom's throat, giving voice to his rising desire, as the kiss deepened. He pulled her tighter against his body, his heart racing along with the pressure of his arousal, pressed against Sara's thigh.

Sara also moaned with desire as she pressed even closer to him, her hands raking through his hair. His hips involuntarily flexed upwards, his hands tentatively exploring her body.

"Stay," he whispered in a strained voice, when they breathlessly broke apart, his desire reflected back at him in Sara's eyes.

Even as she murmured her consent, his mouth was on hers, kissing her fiercely. He began to walk her to his bedroom, their lips never breaking contact.

He kicked the door shut with his foot as he turned her around towards his bed, his head dipping to kiss her neck and bare shoulders, his touch and kisses searing her skin.

She kissed him with as much fervor as her trembling fingers unfastened the buttons on his shirt just as he found the clasp of her dress.

They broke apart as the dress swiftly pooled at their feet and Grissom took a moment to admire her slender form. She'd been without a bra under her dress and he felt his desire for her grow.

"So beautiful," he whispered, kissing her once more, his hands caressing her breasts.

Grissom's lips moved to a sensitive spot behind her ear and she shivered. She felt him smile against her skin as he sucked the spot before moving down her neck to the base of her throat, leaving a trail of kisses making his way to her breast. He took her nipple into his mouth and Sara groaned her pleasure as his touch seared his fingerprints into her flesh, theirs souls entwining.

As she pushed the shirt off his shoulders, Grissom felt a moment of doubt as Sara's hands explored his chest, moving down to the slight roundness of his stomach. He relaxed as her hands moved back up his chest, humming in pleasure as she kissed his chest, nipping his nipples lightly.

Capturing her mouth again, he gently pushed her onto the bed, lying next to her as they each began to explore the other's body, Grissom committing to memory all the places that brought her the most pleasure.

Sara kissed any exposed skin she could find, his shoulders, his neck, his ears, as her hands traveled down his back, tracing his spine. Realizing that he still wore his trousers, she quickly unfastened his belt and zipper and pulled the slacks past his ankles. She could feel his erection straining against its fabric prison and hooking her fingers in the waistband of his boxers, she pulled them down.

Grissom quickly kicked them off and resumed where he'd left off, exploring Sara's body. She reached for him and he gasped sharply as she stroked him. She stilled her hand.

"Slow down, sweetheart, I want to last," he said softly. "Next time."

He continued to kiss and taste and lick his way down to her stomach, his hands tugging down her panties as he kissed his way down her leg to her foot. Her legs quivered as his beard scratched against her skin, driving her wild with desire. Her hands grabbed the sheets as she moaned.

He worked his way up the other leg, taking his time, before reaching her center. He kissed her inner thigh before gently pressing one finger into her folds, discovering how wet for him she was. She gasped his name in a breathy whisper as he inserted another finger, making slow, teasing circles as he rubbed the tiny bundle of nerves.

He kissed her center and Sara dug deeper into the mattress as his clever tongue licked and sucked. Her hands gripped his curls as she moaned with need.

He continued to tease her endlessly, until he could feel her body tremble. Her back arched as her hips rose to meet his mouth with a moan of pure pleasure, her hands still clutching the sheets.

She tugged him towards her, kissing him on the mouth, the neck. He moaned as she sucked his earlobe and his hips involuntarily thrusted upwards, his erection brushing against her thigh.

He pulled away from her just long enough to reach into the drawer of his nightstand to find a condom.

He left a trail of kisses down to her stomach, settling himself between her legs, glancing at her as if asking permission. She nodded as her legs parted, granting him access.

She gasped as he slowly entered her and he paused before slowly thrusting forward. He leaned forward slightly, his arms taking his weight as he rocked gently, his head dipping as he kissed her, her arms wrapping round his neck.

They rocked gently together as they found their rhythm. Gradually, he gained speed, his desire for her overwhelming, as hers was for him.

He continued to thrust harder and faster, until he could feel her walls clamp around him. Her back arched as her legs wrapped around his thighs, letting out a loud groan of pleasure.

He pumped into her twice more, sweat beading on his forehead and back, as a low, guttural groan escaped his throat as his own powerful release quickly followed Sara's.

His arms quivering, he fell to the side, his body covering hers. Sara held his head to her chest, as they both lay catching their breaths.

"Jesus, Sara," Grissom muttered, still trying to catch his breath.

After a moment, he started to move, but Sara tightened her legs around him, keeping him place.

"Not yet," she whispered, her face still flushed as she kissed his sweaty curls. He adjusted his weight and kissed her gently.

They laid there together a little while longer, but the next time Grissom moved to rise, she didn't stop him. He rose from the bed, heading towards the bathroom to dispose of the condom. She heard the flush of the toilet, before the sound of running water followed. When he returned, he was wearing a fresh pair of boxers.

He slipped into the covers next to her. She moved into the spot by his left shoulder, and as she nestled down, he wrapped his arm around her. He kissed her hair.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She kissed his chest and he felt the stirrings of desire in his groin.

"I'm fine," she replied, her fingers making a lazy pattern on his bare chest. "I'm more than fine. You're a man of many hidden talents, Gilbert. Such a stallion."

Grissom chuckled, even as pink tinged his cheeks and the tips of his ears turned red. His hand tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before pulling her head forward and kissing her deeply. His fears that he wouldn't be enough for her were appeased for now, as his heart swelled with the love he felt for her.

They broke apart and Sara once again settled down in the space by his shoulder, her arm draped over his chest. As Grissom drew her closer to his body, drowsiness enveloped their bodies and they drifted off with satisfied smiles on their lips.

The next morning, Sara woke as sunlight fell across her face. She lay quietly with her eyes closed, feeling completely relaxed. She opened her eyes and shut them at the sun streaming in from the partially opened curtains, before her eyes flew open again.

The sunlight was wrong, and she felt a moment of panic as the thought that this wasn't her bedroom flashed across her mind. Her anxiety calmed as she remembered where she was.

She stretched languidly, a smile brightening her features, as she glanced to Grissom's side of the bed. It was empty and she felt a stab of anxiety twist in her stomach as her smile faded. Was he having doubts about making love to her? Had he run?

With her unease growing, she rummaged around on the floor for something to put on. The first item her hands happened to fall on was Grissom's shirt.

She slipped it over her head, the hem falling to mid-thigh. She rolled up the sleeves to accommodate her smaller arms before slipping out of the bedroom and making her way to the kitchen.

Halfway there, her stomach growled hungrily as the delicious smell of cooking filled the air. She felt a little of her anxiety fade. Maybe she didn't have anything to worry about after all?

She hesitated a moment, watching him potter about the kitchen, before stepping into the living room.

He looked up and the smile he offered her eased a little more of her doubts. His hair was still mussed from sleep, and at some point he'd put on a pair of pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt.

"Morning, beautiful," he greeted, his smile broadening as she approached the breakfast bar. A radio was playing quietly in the corner and the Sunday paper was already folded to the crossword puzzle.

He waited until she approached before handing her a coffee.

"Did you sleep okay?" he asked as she took the cup and held it with both hands, blowing a cooling breath before taking a sip. Her eyes watched him over the rim of her cup.

 _As if he really needed to ask that!_ she thought, rolling her eyes. She placed the cup on the counter and tugged at the shirt collar nervously.

"Actually, I think that was the best nights sleep I've had in a long time," Sara admitted shyly. There had certainly been no nightmares to plague her dreams.

His smile also grew shy as he nodded his head.

"Me too," he said, his eyes roaming over her from head to foot.

"Is something wrong?" Sara asked, becoming slightly worried under his scrutinizing gaze.

Looking down at the shirt briefly, she wondered if perhaps she'd overstepped some line by wearing his clothes.

"Is it the shirt?" she asked, looking up.

Grissom smirked and turned his attention back to the pancakes he was making. After what they'd shared the night before, she was worried about wearing his _shirt?_

"No, honey," he said as he plated the pancakes onto plates and added an assortment of fruit before drizzling them liberally with maple syrup. "Although, you did ruin my surprise. I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed. But you looked so peaceful, I hesitated to wake you."

"I'm sorry I spoiled your surprise," Sara smiled as she played with the collar of the shirt. "Maybe you can surprise me next time?"

She gave him her full Sidle smile, making his heart beat that much faster. She clearly had no idea what she was doing to him, wearing his shirt.

"Come here," he said, his voice low and seductive, his gaze growing more intense as he lost all interest in the food.

Sara felt heat between her legs as her heart skipped a beat. Grissom leaned back against the counter as she approached, the obvious tenting in his pyjama bottoms plain to see as he gathered her into his arms. He bent to kiss her and Sara leaned back slightly.

"I've not brushed my teeth."

Grissom rolled his eyes with a slight shake of his head before kissing her anyway.

His hands slipped under the shirt, his palms sliding over her sides, his fingertips skimmed over her breasts, his thumbs teasing her nipples, as the kiss quickly became heated. He groaned as he felt Sara's hands slip under his own t-shirt and slide over his stomach and chest. His arms tightened around her.

"Maybe I should wear your shirt all the time," Sara mused when they parted. "If this is the effect it has on you."

"Honey, you could wear a garbage bag and I'd still want you," he responded, his breathing still uneven, his mouth already seeking hers.

Somehow, they found their way to the bedroom again, breakfast forgotten.

* * *

A/N 2 If i had to have a favourite chapter of my own, this would be it. I've never considered writing smut as my strongest area of writing. Normally, i write so that it's implied, and left to the reader to decide if they had sex or not. That tactic wouldn't have worked for this story, so I read _a lot_ of smut fics...for "research" purposes. Either way, i hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: _Once again, many thanks for the reviews. They really do mean so much. I am so glad that you are enjoying my take on how they may have got together. To avoid any confusion, there is a very brief sojourn back to the story's present time of 2007, before we head back into the flashback. Some dialogue is taken from the show. The next chapter will be the last one. And many many thanks to_ Piccolina789 _for the wonderful beta._

* * *

Late January 2007

The sound of the hissing kettle brought Sara's mind back to the present, an amused smile on her face. After that first time together, she and Grissom had not gone more than a day, two at most, without making love.

It was inevitable, Sara mused thoughtfully, that as their bond deepened, they'd become less cautious, especially when at one of the other's homes.

Sara blew a cooling breath over her coffee before taking a cautionary sip, feeling the tension of the case lessen slightly, as she pulled out a chair and sat down. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards with a fond smile, her mind wandering back to the day that had meant more to her than any other day in their relationship so far.

It had been a mid-August afternoon and Grissom had been called into court as an expert witness on a high profile case….

* * *

 _Mid August 2005_

Grissom let himself into Sara's apartment with the key she'd given him. He leaned his head back against the door with a weary sigh. He dropped his briefcase to the floor, but kept hold of his suit jacket, as he pinched his eyes closed at the brightness of the late afternoon sun. He pulled at his collar, loosening his tie, before unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt.

Still toweling dry her hair after her shower and wearing her robe, Sara came out of the bedroom and didn't see Grissom standing with his back to her front door, his head bowed.

She gasped in surprise, having not expected to see him until much later due to the court case. It was his night off and they'd planned on having dinner at his place before the start of her shift.

"Hello, Gilbert," she said, her tone teasing once she'd gotten over her surprise.

She knew there was something wrong when he didn't react to the use of his full name, a privilege that only a very few had.

Discarding the towel, she went to him, her concern growing.

"Gil?" she asked softly, cupping his cheek. "What's wrong?"

He lifted his head only slightly and she noticed the paleness of his skin, the pain in his eyes as he gave her only the briefest of glances before pinching his eyes shut again, his lips thinning.

Still holding his jacket and keeping his back to the door, he pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapping around her waist. His head sank into the space between her shoulder and neck.

"Migraine," he mumbled, his breath and the whiskers of his beard tickling her skin.

"How long since you took any medication?" she asked as she draped her arms around his neck.

Her fingers brushed through his hair with a feather-light touch, but even that light caress was enough to make him groan. Immediately, she dropped her hand, not wanting to cause him any further pain and discomfort. It must be a really bad one, if even the gentlest of touches was painful.

"Second dose was almost four hours ago," he mumbled against her neck, his lips brushing against her skin.

His arms tightened around her slightly as he nuzzled against her neck. He sighed, a happy sound despite the pounding of his migraine. In the recent months since their relationship had begun, he'd learned the true meaning of home wasn't defined by bricks and mortar, but Sara. Home was where ever she happened to be.

"I love you," he muttered against her neck, suddenly as his lips brushed against her neck.

Sara drew back, her look of surprise at his admission not registering with Grissom as he drew back and released his hold on her. He lifted up his jacket as he rummaged around in the left pocket.

"I have something for you," he said, suddenly overcome with nerves that had nothing to do with his first declaration of his love.

With nerveless fingers, feeling very much like a teenager, he searched in his jacket before he withdrew an oblong box out of his pocket.

"I was at lunch, and I saw this, I-I- it made me think of you," he said, his voice shy as he handed her the black velvet box.

Sara took the box from him quietly, still reeling from his admission. She'd received a few gifts from him over the years, but apart from an entomology textbook one Christmas, nothing as personal as this appeared to be.

She glanced up at him as he watched her expectantly. Glancing back down, she carefully opened the lid.

Resting on a black velvet bed was a sapphire gemstone necklace in the shape of a teardrop. The outer edge of the gemstone was encased in a gold plated bail.

"You like it?" he asked hopefully.

She looked up at him, still feeling a sense of shock at his unexpected and thoughtful gift.

"Like it?" she said, carefully lifting the necklace out of the box. "Gil, I love it, it's beautiful!"

"It represents your birth month. I know it's early…"

Grissom's voice trailed off as he gave a little shrug, his mouth pursing slightly.

Opening the clasp, she turned around, lifting her hair up, so he could fasten it for her.

"Thank you," she said when she turned back to face him, kissing him lightly on the mouth.

His hands settled on her waist as he pulled her a little closer, returning her kiss briefly before drawing back with a wince.

Grasping his hand as she turned on her heels, Sara led him to the sofa. While he sat down, she hurriedly drew the curtains shut, blocking out most of the late afternoon sun.

Grissom leaned back, resting his head on the back of the sofa with his eyes closed, rubbing at the temple on the right side of his head. Sara moved to the kitchen, filling a glass with water before checking in one of the cupboards for a spare bottle of his medication that she'd insisted on storing just for such occasions as this.

"Have you had anything to eat?" she asked as she returned to the sofa, setting down the glass and two of his pills.

"Not since lunch," he whispered with a slight shake of his head.

He winced, his face draining of whatever color he had, as his eyes sprang open. He pushed himself to his feet as a wave of nausea swept over him.

Head spinning, nausea unsettling his stomach, he stumbled his way to the bathroom, just barely making it in time, as he fell to his knees over the toilet.

Sara hovered close by, but enough to give him some privacy, worry etched onto her features. She waited until she heard the toilet flush before knocking once.

She entered the bathroom and found Grissom's head resting on the closed lid of the toilet, facing away from her.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, blowing out a weak, pain-filled breath. He swallowed heavily, fighting against another wave of nausea.

Sara knelt by his side, her hand gently rubbing across his shoulders and down his back comfortingly.

"You've nothing to be sorry for, baby," she admonished him gently. She'd only ever seen him this ill with a migraine just a handful of times over the years. When it got this bad, the only relief that seemed to work was sleep and complete quiet.

She was about to suggest that he lay down when he quickly lifted the toilet lid again.

Rising to her feet, Sara left him briefly, returning a few minutes later with another glass of water. After rinsing his mouth out, she helped to his feet, beads of sweat standing out vividly against the whiteness of his face.

Silently, she led him to the bed, where he laid down without much protest, his eyes already closed as his head hit the pillow. Sara lifted his legs up and took off his shoes before pulling the thin sheet up over him.

She glanced at the nightstand, making sure that the glass of water and the two pills were within easy reach, for when he awoke.

Her concerned eyes swept over him as his breathing became shallow as a healing sleep over took him. Briefly, she debated if she should stay with him instead of heading into work.

She wanted to stay, but she knew that there really wasn't much she could do. Sleep and rest was the only thing that would help him now, and he could sleep for hours.

Bending down, she lightly brushed her lips against his temple, her fingers touching his greying curls.

"I love you too, Gil," she whispered to his sleeping form, a sad smile gracing her face at seeing him in pain. She kissed him lightly once more, making Grissom sigh contentedly in his sleep before she quietly left the bedroom.

* * *

Later the next afternoon, Sara tugged her ball cap down a little lower as she exited the taxi a short distance away from the courthouse. Even late in the afternoon, the parking lot was still busy. She glanced over to the main entrance as she looked for Grissom's Mercedes.

 _He'd still been sleeping when she'd left for her shift the previous night. Knowing that there was nothing she could really do for him hadn't prevented her from worrying about him._

 _She'd thrown herself into work as normal, but part of her mind still drifted back to Grissom, and when Greg suggested a break, she'd agreed. She took the chance to quickly head back to her apartment and check on Grissom._

 _She'd found him looking exhausted and white as a sheet, bent over the toilet as dry heaves wrecked his body. A glance at the nightstand before she'd entered the bathroom had told her that he'd still not managed to take his medication. She asked if he could manage anything to eat, but he shook his head, wincing. So she'd helped back to bed, this time helping him to strip to his boxers before pulling the sheets up close to his chin. His eyes closed tightly, even against the muted light coming from the living room. She'd stayed with him, until his face and body relaxed as sleep claimed him once more._

 _When she'd returned home after shift, she'd found him sprawled on her side of the bed, hugging her pillow and the glass empty, his pills gone._

 _With much relief, she'd headed back to the kitchen to make a start on breakfast. She was clearing away her dirty dishes when she felt his arms around her waist and the brush of his lips against her neck._

 _With a smile, she'd turned around in his arms, happy to see that although still pale, he looked much better. At her inquiry, he'd informed her he still had some pain, but it was bearable. He'd given her a slow, minty kiss that had built into something much more heated and left them both breathless when they pulled apart._

 _Sara awoke at three in the afternoon to find that Grissom had returned to bed at some point, his arm laying possessively over her stomach. She took a moment to watch him sleeping, a tender smile on her face. Even in sleep, he looked much better than he had that morning over breakfast._

 _She touched his cheek lovingly and he instinctively moved closer to her, seeking her touch. She softly kissed his forehead before extracting herself from his embrace and quietly leaving the bedroom._

Sara's thoughts returned to the present as she located Grissom's car. He had been so sick the previous day that he couldn't drive home, so he'd called a taxi to take him to Sara's place. She knew Grissom had a meeting later that day, so she agreed to pick up his car from the courthouse before she headed out on her afternoon run.

Brass was just coming out of the courthouse just as Sara neared the Mercedes. Brass had noticed the car on his way into the courthouse, but hadn't given it much thought at first. He'd heard that Grissom had been called to testify, so seeing his car hadn't been that unusual. But when he'd seen the car still parked there after the trial, he'd become a little concerned.

He had actually been about to call Grissom's cell phone when he spotted Sara. Despite the ballcap pulled low over her face, he'd have recognized her anywhere, and he automatically looked around for Grissom. His curiosity peaked further when Sara unlocked the car and slipped into the driver's seat.

 _Why would Sara be driving Grissom's car?_

Now with more than a casual hint of curiosity, Brass hurried to his own car. Making sure to keep a respectful distance so as not to arouse Sara's suspicions, he followed after her.

Brass expected Sara to head straight to Grissom's townhouse, so was surprised when she went to her own apartment, parking next to her Prius.

He parked a good distance away from her complex, but in a spot with a good view of both cars. His curiosity was quickly turning into a hunch as he pieced everything together, smiling at the only logical conclusion. He made himself as comfortable as he could, suspecting he'd have a bit of a wait.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N _Thank you all so very much for all the amazing reviews. They really do mean so very much. This is the last chapter, and I'm sorry to see this end. From the moment my Muse came up with this idea, it seemed doubtful at first that it would ever get this far. I will always be very grateful to my beta,_ Piccolina789 _for her very valuable help and agreeing to help on this, even though she too had her doubts at first. It really is because of you, that this was ever given life in the first place. And i am so so glad that you give it a chance. And also to my readers, who have enjoyed this little journey with me._

 _This final chapter, continues with the flashback story, but ends in the story's present time of 2007. I hope you enjoy this final chapter as much as you have the previous ones. I hope you do like this ending as it just felt the most natural way to end things. I hope you agree, but if you don't, that's ok too. Some dialogue has been taken from the show._

* * *

Once Grissom and Sara had made light work of clearing away the dirty dishes, Grissom returned to his chair and Sara brought his mug of coffee to the dining table.

"I'm going to have to leave soon and get my car," Grissom stated despondently as he reached for his coffee. "Then head home for a change of clothes."

"Actually, I picked up your car from the courthouse, after my run," Sara replied with a smirk, returning with her own coffee. She'd barely it set it down on the dining table when Grissom grabbed her and pulled her into his lap as he kissed her.

"Thank you," he said, when he pulled back. "For everything."

Sara rested her hands on the back of his head, her gaze holding with his.

"I really didn't do much of anything," she replied truthfully.

Grissom remained silent, biting his bottom lip deep in thought as he brought his hand up to brush the back of it against her cheek. Sara's eyes closed as she leaned automatically into his touch, her breath hitching slightly as her body awakened to his touch.

He shifted slightly, leaning forward as she gasped audibly at the soft brush of lips against the skin of her neck. She moved her head to the side to give him better access. His lips moved to that spot behind her ear that made her shiver and she moaned softly. He kissed her neck and along her collarbone, moving the strap of her tank top to kiss her shoulder before pulling back completely.

He still held her gaze, his growing desire reflected back at him as he raised his hands and gently brushed an errant strand of hair away from her face. He took a deep breath and moved his head to the side as though in a moment of deep thought.

His Adam's apple bobbed nervously as he fought a silent war with himself before deciding to take the plunge.

"I love you," he whispered, his voice just barely audible.

Sara's breath caught at his words. This time there were no doubts. Her eyes searched his as a slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth. Her hand touched his face, her fingers brushing through his greying curls.

"I love you, too," she answered, her own voice just barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?" he asked, flashing the boyish rare grin that took ten years off him.

"Yeah," Sara replied confidently as her head lowered to meet his.

Their kiss was slow and deliberate, almost tentative, before growing more urgent and passionate. Grissom's hands moved from her waist, travelling up her sides, to the swell of her breasts, his thumbs brushing over her nipples, which hardened immediately.

He kissed a trail of kisses to her neck, sucking and biting gently as he went, his hands, moving under her tank top, the touch of his hands on her bare skin giving her goosebumps. Sara gasped as she shifted into a more comfortable position on his lap, and Grissom groaned as she moved against his growing arousal, biting a little too hard at the spot just above her collarbone.

Grissom tugged at the hem of her tank top pulling it upwards and they broke the kiss just long enough for Sara to pull it over her head. Still kissing passionately, Grissom rose to his feet, taking Sara with him, as her fingers were busy with the buttons of his shirt.

Their lips never breaking contact with the other, they walked backwards, helping rid the other of the clothes that hindered their progress, just barely making it to the bed.

* * *

Some time later, Grissom entered the living room, tucking in his shirt, looking irritated. Sara followed a few seconds behind him, wearing sweatpants and a tank top, just as he was fastening the belt of his trousers.

Grissom looked up to face her, his displeasure clear on his face.

"I'm really sorry about this, honey," his tone apologetic as he let out a despondent sigh.

"It's fine, Gil," she tried to soothe him, reaching out to touch his cheek, which he instinctively leaned into, despite his bad mood. "I understand, it's work…"

Grissom blew out an annoyed snort of air through his nose, still looking far from happy.

"You're worth more than a quick – "

Sara silenced him with a kiss, which after a second's delay, he was only happy to return. They'd taken their time making love, thinking they had had more time than they actually had. Now, Grissom barely had enough time to return home, grab a quick shower and change of clothes before heading to the lab and the dreaded meeting with Ecklie.

The kiss deepened as Grissom drew Sara closer to his body, losing himself in her.

The kiss continued until the need for air forced their lips apart.

" _Again_?" Sara asked, raising her eyebrow as she became aware of his growing arousal.

His bad mood couldn't stop him from giving her a reluctant grin.

"It's not my fault I can't get enough of you," he murmured as his head dipped to leave an arousing trail of kisses down her neck to the base of her throat. "I'll never get enough of you."

His voice trailed off as he straightened up, his previous heated look disappearing as he stared at Sara's exposed neck.

"Oh dear," he said sheepishly. "That's not good."

Alarmed, Sara headed towards the mirror to the right of the living room window. Moving her hair back, Sara gazed with dismay at the hickey on the right side of her throat, close to her collarbone. It wasn't very big, but it wouldn't be easy to hide either. And it was still too hot to get away with wearing a turtleneck sweater.

"Gil, we agreed on no obvious marks," she said, her tone betraying her dismay.

Beard burn she could deal with and was easier to hide. Generally, they were both discreet, though on occasion one or the other had been a little overzealous. But it always had been in places that were easily hidden.

"I'm sorry, dear," Grissom said contritely, grabbing his suit jacket before embracing her from behind and kissing her hair. "I'll see you later, at the lab."

Sara stared at the love bite a moment longer, before sighing and heading back towards her bedroom to change the sheets and have a shower of her own. She stopped short when she spotted Grissom's car keys still on the breakfast bar where she'd placed them when she'd come back from the courthouse.

She quickly hurried from her apartment, but got to the elevator just as the doors closed, leaving her no choice but to take the stairs.

Twilight wasn't far off, but there was still enough light for Jim Brass to see Gil Grissom clear as day as he exited Sara's apartment building. He knew he shouldn't be doing this - staking out the home of a co-worker - but the oddness of what he'd seen the at the courthouse wouldn't go away. He couldn't help himself. His curious nature was getting the best of him. So he decided to swing by Sara's for a minute or two to see if he could see anything before he went into work. Turned out, he was just in time.

And it turned out, his suspicions were correct.

Jim smirked to himself as he took in Grissom's slightly disheveled appearance. His hair was mussed, his collar was slightly off and an untied tie hung loose around his neck. He'd obviously left Sara's in a hurry.

A few seconds later, Sara exited the building complex too and approached Gil, dangling Grissom's car keys by the key ring. From his vantage point, Jim could clearly make them out without being seen himself, but couldn't hear what they were saying.

Grissom nodded at something Sara said before taking her by the waist and pulling her closer to him, kissing her. Sara's arms snaked around his neck, her fingers raking through his hair as the kiss deepened.

As Brass continued to watch, Sara pushed Grissom away, breaking the kiss. Grissom smirked, keeping an arm around Sara's waist. He spoke a few words, making Sara laugh, then Grissom leaned forward and planted a kiss on Sara's cheek, before turning back to his car.

He'd just pulled open the driver's side door when Sara called his name. He turned and Sara wrapped her arms around his neck again as she kissed him. Several more minutes passed before they broke apart, and Grissom got into his car and left Sara's apartment building.

Waiting until both Grissom and Sara had gone, Jim left his hiding place and returned to his own car.

* * *

Towards the middle of shift, Brass made his way to Grissom's office, report folder in hand. Someone else was in Grissom's office with him, so Jim hesitated a moment before making his presence known. Sure enough, it was Sara inside the small office talking to Grissom. Brass decided to take a moment to observe them as they sat close together at Grissom's desk, going over the case notes on the case they were working on.

Over the course of the shift, Jim had taken advantage of the chance to watch them as they worked their case together. He had to hand it to them, they worked alongside each other without any hint of the personal relationship between them. If he hadn't been privy to their passionate tryst, he would never have suspected that there was anything going on between them, which was what they clearly wanted everyone to believe.

The only small indication Brass had noticed, and even now he still wasn't sure if he had seen it, had been when they had been in the layout room. Everyone else was still out working their own cases, and so Grissom and Sara had been alone – or as alone as they could be – in the lab.

Sara had seen something of interest in the evidence she was combing through and Grissom had stepped closer to her, closer than Jim would have deemed necessary, but apparently that kind of closeness was nothing new between them. The look that passed between them had certainly been a few shades warmer than would have been deemed professional, but it was only a second before the moment passed and their professional masks were firmly back in place, leaving Jim wondering if he'd ever seen it at all.

Jim knocked on the half-open door to Grissom's office and he entered, raising the folder up for them to see.

"Your suspect has a rap sheet as long as the proverbial arm of the law," Jim stated, passing the folder over to Grissom as he took the guest seat facing Grissom's desk.

As they discussed the case between them, Sara fiddled with the collar of her shirt. She had thought it was high enough to hide the hickey, but now that Brass was sitting right next to her, she wasn't so sure.

Finally, Brass rose to his feet, but made no effort to leave Grissom's office. He debated with himself whether or not he should come clean and admit that he'd seen them together. On the one hand, whatever they did outside of the lab was their business. At the same time, if it had been anyone else that had discovered their secret, there was a high chance it would have reached the wrong ears and both of their careers would be over. He respected both Grissom and Sara too much to allow that to happen.

Grissom looked up curiously from the report, his lips pursed thoughtfully.

"Something else I can help you with, Jim?" he wanted to know.

Brass made a split-second decision to lay all his cards on the table. They were his friends and if they wanted this to remain private, then he'd have their backs.

"I mean this with the utmost respect to the two of you, but perhaps playing tonsil tennis in a parking lot, where anyone could see you, isn't one of your better ideas. Even if it is the parking lot of an apartment complex. You know what I'm saying?"

Grissom inhaled sharply, as if the room had suddenly been devoid of air, paling slightly. He and Sara glanced at each other, both of them pale. They'd both been in agreement that if they were ever asked about their relationship, they wouldn't lie. What would be the point?

Swallowing, Grissom leaned forward in his chair. It was some time before he spoke.

"When did you…?"

"Earlier this afternoon. I saw Sara picking up your car from the courthouse. I got curious, and followed her," Jim explained. "Imagine my surprise when she headed back to her apartment and not your townhouse, like I was expecting. I just want to give you a friendly heads up that it could easily have been someone else that saw you. Personally, I'm happy for you both. Whatever you two get up to outside the lab is your business. But leave necking in the parking lot to the teenagers, okay?"

He paused to take a breath before turning his attention to Sara.

"You've had a rough year or so, and I'm pleased for you, kiddo," he said, nodding his head in Grissom's direction. "I gave up on him years ago."

Sara glanced in Grissom's direction, a slight smirk on her face, as she boldly reached out and grasped his hand lightly in hers.

"I think he knows how close it almost came to that."

Her pager beeped and she quickly released their joined hands to check. It was from Hodges.

When Sara left the office, Jim barred Grissom's exit, his expression and tone serious.

"I meant what I said to Sara about being happy for you both. And I'll keep this information to myself. But she's like a daughter to me, and if you mess with her heart again, Gil, let's just say I've learned a thing or two working with you CSIs to know how to hide a body and get away with it."

Jim paused a second or two longer, the silence heavy between them. While Grissom remained silent, Jim knew Grissom understood his implication very clearly. With that, he turned on his heels and left Grissom's office, leaving Grissom with much to think about.

* * *

 _Late July 2006_

Over the fifteen months since they'd first started dating, Grissom and Sara had perfected the "rules" of their relationship. They timed their arrivals and departures from the lab, so they never left or arrived at the same time. Days off together were scheduled so that they didn't draw any attention. They worked cases together, occasionally paired with others or even solo.

They'd been living together for five months, but Sara had kept her old apartment for appearance's sake, heading back every few days to pick up mail and pay bills.

Spending so much time together, living and working together, should have brought problems, especially when one partner was the boss at work. But for them, it never did. By mutual agreement, whatever happened at work stayed at work.

Occasionally, they would enjoy time apart, to pursue other interests or just sit quietly reading or doing crosswords, enjoying the others company without the need for conversation. In those quiet moments, they often would look at the other with a gentle smile. They were happy and they made their relationship work.

It was two weeks before celebrating a year and a half together, that Grissom noticed the first uncomfortable shift in their relationship. Sara had been quiet and withdrawn the last few days. At first, he'd just assumed that it was the after effects of a recent bout of stomach flu that had been going around.

But now, as Grissom stood by the door to their bedroom, watching as Sara sat silently on the edge of their bed, he wasn't so sure. She was lost in thought, but he could see the worry on her pale face as she bit her lip.

"Honey, what's bothering you?" he asked as he stepped into the room. She jumped slightly at the sound of his unexpected voice. He quickly closed the space between them and gathered her hands in both of his as he joined her on the bed.

Sara remained silent for a few minutes, trying to gather her thoughts together. Grissom's hands squeezed hers reassuringly.

"Sara," he said. "Just tell me what is. Whatever it is."

"That's just it, Gil," she began, unable to look him in the eye. "I'm not sure of how to tell you. We've not really been together that long…"

"Honey, whatever is it is we can work through it," Grissom interrupted in a rush, the idea that she wanted to end their relationship bludgeoning its way into his mind. Since they'd been together, she'd inadvertently shown him the meaning of loneliness and he was in no hurry to make its re-acquaintance.

Sara heard the underlying panic in his voice and squeezed their clasped hands reassuringly. She took a deep breath before turning to face him.

"I think I might be pregnant," she blurted out before she could lose her nerve. "I-I-I know that it's not something we've…"

Grissom cut her off mid-sentence as he swept her into his arms and kissed her so deeply it left them both breathless.

"Have you taken a test?" he asked when they eventually broke apart.

Sara shook her head, biting her lip worriedly at the daunting possibility of motherhood. Since children had never been a topic they had ever discussed, she'd assumed that he didn't want children. She wasn't completely certain, given her upbringing, that she did either. A future with Grissom had been all that she'd ever dared to hope for. If that meant a life without children, she would be more than content with that. At first, she'd thought the queasiness she'd been feeling was leftover from her stomach flu. But when she realized she was two days late, she'd panicked, unsure of how Grissom would react.

"Not yet," she said quietly, breaking out of her thoughts. "I bought a test on the way home from the lab. But since I've gotten home, all I've done is sit here, trying to pick up the courage to take the test."

"There's only one way we're going to find out, and staring at the floor isn't the way," he said, giving her hands another encouraging squeeze.

He gently pulled her to her feet, guiding her to the master bathroom.

Several minutes later, they were both sitting on the foot of the bed, waiting nervously for the results of the pregnancy test.

Sara closed her eyes and blew out a nervous breath as Grissom clasped her hands in his, squeezing gently.

"Whatever the outcome is, we'll get through it together," he said reassuringly.

Sara nodded and rose to her feet, heading into the bathroom.

Grissom was holding his breath when she returned a second later, test in hand.

"It's negative," she revealed, blowing out the breath she was holding and feeling a sudden surge of relief flood through her.

Grissom remained silent, looking thoughtful.

* * *

Much later, when they lay in bed together, Sara relished the feel of his arm around her, his fingers gently caressing her bare arm. They hadn't made love, but they'd enjoyed an intimacy all the same.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she finally asked as the silence stretched between them. He'd been subdued since learning that the pregnancy test was negative.

Eventually, he sighed, pursing his lips. He glanced at her briefly before staring straight ahead again. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again without saying a word, his brows furrowing slightly.

Then, he took a deep breath.

"My father died when I was nine. I sometimes wondered what kind of father I'd be. I've never felt quite ready. The idea even scares me a little. But today, when the test came back negative…"

His voice trailed off as he lapsed once more into silence.

Surprised, Sara rose up onto an elbow, reaching out to caress his bearded cheek. The thought that he might have been disappointed at the negative result had never crossed her mind.

"Since we've never talked about it, I assumed that children wasn't something we'd consider," she said.

"To be honest, until this afternoon, neither did I," he admitted quietly, turning on his side to look at her. "Being faced with the sudden possibility of fatherhood though... it somehow didn't seem as… daunting as it once was."

He sighed and smiled bleakly, glancing at her.

"I know you don't feel you'd be a good mother, Sara, but I've thought for years that you would make an excellent mother one day. That case we worked a few weeks back is a perfect example."

"The Ollie Bainbridge case?" she asked in surprise, thinking back to the case he was referring to.

It was a home invasion gone wrong, that had left a young wife and mother raped and murdered and her husband brutally beaten. They had a six-month-old son, Oliver. A female officer had been briefly assigned to care for the baby until child services could arrive. The baby boy had been unsettled since the attack on his parents and the officer hadn't been able to soothe the child. It had come almost as a relief for the officer when a call had come through and she'd handed the baby off to Sara before making her escape.

For a moment, Sara had remained standing there, with a wailing baby in her arms, before instinct took over as she gently rocked the wailing bundle back and forth, unaware of Grissom looking on from the kitchen doorway. Within minutes, Oliver had ceased his high-pitched wailing and by the time child services had arrived, he'd been sleeping soundly in her arms.

"Yeah," Grissom replied with a smile, drawing Sara from her musings. "The Collins case, when you first came to Vegas, is another one. I still remember the look on your face when I first assigned you to look after little Brenda. You weren't keen on the idea but you came through, just like I knew you would."

He chuckled, his eyes crinkling slightly.

"You got payback when you made me think you really had left poor Brenda in the car," he said. "Catherine didn't let me forget it for weeks after."

A smile touched the edges of Sara's mouth. The whole team had joined in on teasing her. The look on Grissom's face had been priceless.

"But what are you saying, Gil? That you want to start a family?" she asked after a few minutes of silently studying him.

He sighed and then chuckled.

"I never imagined that I'd be lying in bed, discussing starting a family, at almost fifty years old."

He glanced at her again, his expression and tone serious.

"Would it surprise you, that I'm choosing life, Sara? A life with you and… if you're willing, perhaps a couple of kids. I'm not going to be a CSI forever... my knees won't take it. But there are other options... I could go back to teaching or into research or even consulting. And you wouldn't necessarily have to go back to the lab if you didn't want to. We could work together as consultants or even work on a project of our own."

"And what if it takes awhile to conceive, or what if it never happens?" Sara asked. "Our ages can work against us."

"Then we keep on trying and if, after an agreed amount of time, nothing happened, then we could adopt… if that's something you wanted."

"You've really given this some thought, haven't you?" Sara asked, sounding both surprised and shocked.

Grissom sighed again.

"I have," he admitted. "But age isn't the only factor. If we agreed to do this, there's a chance that any biological child I have, could inherit otosclerosis. Which means they could either be born deaf or it could develop in later life. My mother lost her hearing when she was eight. Surgery wasn't an option for her then. But with medical advances, I was luckier. I started to lose my hearing a few years ago… surgery isn't always 100% successful, but I was lucky."

He paused again, his face becoming serious as he considered his next words.

"My mother never let her hearing loss stop her from living her life. I don't think it should stop us either. But you need to remember that you aren't your mother, Sara. If we were to decide to go through with this, it has to be because you want to and not just because it's something _I_ want. You don't have to decide now. Take as much time as you need."

Sara smiled and nodded her head as her hand brushed against his bearded cheek. He moved forward slightly so his lips brushed lightly against hers. She pulled him closer, pulling him with her as she lay on her back, the kiss growing heated and the room filling with the pleasant moans and groans and sighs of their lovemaking.

* * *

Late January 2007

Sara's thoughts returned to the present as she glanced down, her eye settling on the plain gold wedding band around her finger, a smile uplifting the corners of her mouth.

A month after that night, he'd asked her to marry him. They'd married two weeks later in the courthouse.

Her smile widened, her gaze settling onto her expanding belly. They'd decided to let nature take its course and they had both been pleasantly surprised at how quickly she'd conceived, discovering the happy news just a few weeks after they'd married.

Surprise had turned to stunned shock when it was discovered that they were expecting twins – boys, that they'd decided to name Isaac and William. They were due in a few months.

Sara rose to her feet and headed back to the sink to rinse out her cup.

When they'd informed Ecklie of their marriage and pregnancy, he'd taken it better than either of them had expected he would. Surprisingly enough, when Grissom had informed him of his plans to leave the lab after the twins birth, Ecklie had proposed two conditions; that Catherine become Sara's immediate Supervisor to allow them to continue to work together, and that he stayed at the lab for a year after the babies were born. Grissom accepted the deal.

Sara sensed Grissom's presence even before he spoke. As Grissom moved closer, the babies started to feel it too. They stirred, kicking several times before turning in their cramped world.

"I just spoke to Catherine," Grissom said softly. "Hunter finally confessed to the rape and murders of the Sullivan family. And apart from the interrogation, you handled the case well."

He looked at her, his eyes concerned and incredibly blue as they searched her face.

Since no one was in the break room and the hall was clear, Grissom reached up and tucked a stray stand of hair from her face, a small gesture that she loved. His fingers brushed against her skin lightly and heat bloomed between them at the contact.

Grissom inhaled a breath. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming. The quicker he could take her home, where he could privately show her exactly how much he'd missed her, the better.

His hand curled around hers, entwining his fingers with hers. The same need was reflected in her eyes.

"Come on, I'll take you home," he said quietly, repeating words he'd once said under vastly different circumstances and for vastly different reasons. Now, those same words were loaded with a meaning far more intimate.

With a slight nod, Sara gathered the roses and together, they left the break room, Grissom still holding her hand.

Going home with her husband had never sounded sweeter.


End file.
